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Over a dozen Kashmiri parties, associations and NGOs
based in the UK
have pledged to work together and make a joint efforts for the liberation of
their motherland and to drop minor differences in order to forge unity of
thought and action amongst various Kashmiri organisations actively involved in
the freedom campaign. This was declared in an all party consultation conference
hosted by the UK & Europe chapter of the pro-independence Jammu Kashmir
Liberation Front (JKLF). The conference, believed to be a first of its kind,
was held in the Northern town of Oldham,
where only party heads were invited by JKLF to deliberate proposals for
Kashmiri unity. Twenty six heads of various Kashmiri pro-independence and
pro-Pakistan parties working in the UK
took part in a 5 hour debate, which was held in-camera under Chatham House
rule. Apart from these party heads who belong to Azad Kashmir, several Kashmiri
dignitaries and observers were present but no members of the public or press
were invited to the event.

At the end of the conference a 3 point joint declaration
was agreed upon to ensure that all Kashmiri organisation would continue to meet
together in the future to form a strategic alliance which would work towards
increasing international political and diplomatic pressure on India and
Pakistan to honour their pledges for self-determination and to resolve the
long-standing Kashmir issue peacefully.

The first point on the declaration reads that “we (the
organisations) recognise and affirm that the Kashmiri Diaspora in the UK has
an important role and stake in the liberation movement and we pledge to perform
a meaningful role more effectively”. In order to accomplish this and to adapt a
meaningful strategy for the Kashmiri campaign, all parties agreed for the JKLF
to reconvene another meeting where
member parties from the existing two alliances (Rabata Committee and
Independence Alliance) and 4 prominent parties which are currently not part of
any alliance would be invited to jointly work on modalities for a single united
forum and that prior to this JKLF would engage with these two alliances for possible
consultation. The 3rd point in the declaration states that the conference rejects India Pakistan
bilateral parley on Kashmir without legitimate Kashmiri representation as equal
stakeholders for their title to self-determination and demand that the
governments of India an Pakistan should take immediate measures to discharge
their historical obligation towards self-determination for the people of all
parts of the former state of Jammu-Kashmir.

The conference opened with a presentation from JKLF
president, Mr Azmat A Khan, who invited delegates for a debate and
introspection of the current situation and dilemmas faced by the Kashmiri
movement and raised several questions on the role of Kashmiri parties in the UK
with suggestions for improvement areas in order to effect a meaningful
international campaign to support the independence movement from UK and Europe.

Front chairman Afzal Tahir. Other organisational heads included the
secretary general of the prominent Kashmiri NGO with UN consultative status
known as JK Council for Human rights, Dr Nazir Gilani, head of the Kashmir
National Identity Campaign Dalat Ali, president of the British Kashmir
Foundation Shazad Iqbal and head of the Kashmiri Writers Forum Shafqat Raja.
Other Kashmiri writers, intellectuals
and thinkers who participated in the conference as observers included, Tahir
Bostan advocate, professor Nazir Tabasam, Shams Rehman, Dr Aftab Hussain, Zafar
Tanweer, Jabbar Butt, Prof Liaqat Ali Khan, Naib Hussain Mughal, Sardar Abdul
Rehman and Aslam Mirza, Abdul Khaliq, Haji Abdul Hameed and Ghulam Nabi Mir.
Former chairman of the Parliamentary Kashmir group and peer, Lord Nazir Ahmed
was also present at the conference.

The conference was chaired by prominent JKLF leader
Prof Zafar Khan of Luton.
JKLF UK
and Europe general
secretary Tehsind Gilani welcomed the delegates. Other JKLF leaders who spoke
at the conference included its national organiser Sabir Gul, Saghir Ahmed, Laiq
Ali, Jay Iqbal, Ishfaq Ahmed, Amant
Nazir and Shabir Kashmir. The conference arrangements were made by JKLF’s Oldham,
Manchester and
Bradford branches.

In a statement issued after the conference, JKLF
president, Azmat A Khan said that he was encouraged by the support and
commitment shown by many Kashmir leaders and that he was looking forward to
work with many different organisation with different ideas to strengthen the
international campaign for Kashmiri independence. He said that all delegates
were very keen to look for new ways to move forward and to put together
resources and manpower in a more productive way to internationalise the issue
of Kashmir in the world
media and in the international forum instead of repeatedly highlighting the
issue within the Kashmiri community.